Side by side Pinfire shotgun signed Lefaucheux – Laffiteau
For the little story:
At the wedding of Constance Lefaucheux (elder sister of Eugene Lefaucheux ) with Jean Pierre Alexis Laffiteau on February 7, 1859, Ms. Casimir widow retired to St. Maur (Faivre family home), keeping however the "management of operations" at the 37 rue Vivienne in Paris.
Jean Pierre Laffiteau is designated as the "neighbor" of the Rue Vivienne. (His father will also be witness at the marriage of Eugene and Mary Louise Bigot Lefaucheux April 28, 1862).
It's time for Eugene Lefaucheux to move and settle his workshops as “manufacturer of weapons rue Lafayette 104” (renumbered thereafter from 194 to 196).
This move in 1860 will create two houses Lefaucheux:
· The company "E. Lefaucheux et Cie, Rue Lafayette in Paris who will sign his weapons:
“E. Lefaucheux”.
· The shop gunsmith – “Maison Lefaucheux, 37 Rue Vivienne in Paris” to sign “Lefaucheux”.
Jean Pierre Laffiteau buys from Eugene and his two sisters, father Lefaucheux House, the exclusive right to use the name “Lefaucheux” without initial or name and use the initials LF, for the sum of 150,000 francs.
On November 29, 1865 Laffiteau deposited at the Registry of the Commercial Court of Paris two proofmarks:
1. For rifles manufactured in Paris, this mark consists of a cartridge on which is presented a pistol with the initials LF with the word “Lefaucheux”.
2. For rifles manufactured in St Etienne, the proofmarks are two palms crossed with the word “Lefaucheux”.
Henry Rieger associated to Laffiteau in 1871 will take over as "successor Rieger Lefaucheux House in 1876.
Shotgun 16 Gauge Pin signed Lefaucheux – Laffiteau
Classic rifle barrel juxtaposed with a key called "T" or “Lefaucheux key”.
By putting the hammers into position weapons, and push the “big key” to the right, flip the barrels open for loading.
If you want to strip the rifle, you’re pushing the small key to the left, and you disassociate this barrels from de rifle.
Caracteristics:
Total length of the weapon: 1160 mm
Distance between the first trigger and butt-plate: 352 mm
Barrel length: 760 mm
Damascus barrel, 16 gauge pinfire
The grip is from walnut, English type with butt plate.
Plates with two pillars, called "backward"
Key lock on the bridge, called "Lefaucheux".
Key platinum deeply engraved with leaves, lilies and other rectangular shapes.
Markings and proofmarks
Outside the weapon:
One number is visible on the barrel and butt: 1657, meaning ?
Once the gun open and removed several tags and marks become visible:
All rooms contain the number 258.
On the flip-flop(?) : 2 palms cross followed by "Lefaucheux" 258, marking identical of Laffiteau filed by November 29, 1865 in Paris for the weapons manufactured in Saint Etienne.
Under the gun:
Several markings and stamps, some are unknown to me at the moment:
Proofmark of the city of St Etienne valid from 1836 to April 1868, which allows to locate the manufacture between November 29, 1865 and April 1868.
Logo LF topped with a broken pistol in a square with rounded edges with his number 6639, marking from Casimir Lefaucheux, bought by Laffiteau in 1859.
EB in an oval, marking yet unknown.
34 in an oval, probably the proofmark of a controller.
In an oval VF crowned with a star in the letters. Marking yet unknown.
R a hollow above the marking VF
Guillaume
Jean Pierre Alexis Laffiteau
With regard to the manufacturer.
This marking is that of Casimir Lefaucheux, in the absence of being able to observe the lower part of the guns (Laffiteau signed thus).
Casimir signed indeed LF but Mr. Laffiteau also afterwards with bought the rights to the Family Lefaucheux (1859).
Eugene it was LF with a broken pistol but not in a square and always E.Lefaucheux.
Laffiteau is the brother-in-law of Eugene Lefaucheux, therefore married with Constance, his only sister, who dies in 1869 without leaving children.
“On February 7, 1859 his sister Constance marries a neighbour, Jean Pierre Alexis Laffiteau. The couple succeeds the Lefaucheux widow then.”
A small additional end in the puzzle, Laffiteau would be a neighbour in the Street Vivienne (extracted found in a manuscript ever published on Eugene).
It is Constance which “inherits” the store of the 37 street Vivienne with died of Mrs. widow Casimir Lefaucheux in 1863.
Laffiteau is only a merchant.
It is not yet very clearly for me, at what made Laffiteau entered in the life and the business of Lefaucheux!
Which relation exists between Jean Pierre Alexis Laffiteau and Eugene Lefaucheux (as you can read it one of the documents, its pilot at the time of its marriage, which implies a close connection)???
The scan of the photo fate of the Files of Paris (D17 U3) DEMOUNTING BY LAFFITEAU on NOVEMBER 29, 1865, punch perfectly identical to that of Casimir Lefaucheux.
In the file "Laffiteau" certain number of extracts of documents relating to Lefaucheux/Laffiteau of which an exchange of letters between Mrs. widow Eugene and Mr. Rieger successor of rather instructive Laffiteau on the rights of use of the name.
I acknowledge it is not tall thing but Laffiteau remains for me, for the moment, still a mystery.
Friendly
Guillaume
